average # of years post implant

Has anyone researched the average # of years patients live post surgical implant? Tried to access via the net and so far see between 3 to 8 years average for defib's.
Is there anyone out there that has a defib who has survived past 10 years? thanks M

3 Comments

don't now

by Tracey_E - 2010-03-14 08:03:07

Have defib's even been common for more than ten years?? I don't know, just asking. I don't think they've been around long enough that you could even have a lot of long term data but that's just a guess.

I would not pay attention to any statistics you see because we're all different. The average person getting a pm is three times my age and not in good health to begin with so if I read that they lived on average X years after implant, I would not be at all concerned and planning my funeral just yet because I'd totally expect to outlive the "average" pm recipient- I am young and otherwise healthy, not at all average or typical. Every very ill person getting an icd because they are a high risk for vtach with a laundry list of other problems will skew the numbers for those who are otherwise young and healthy. Apples and oranges, so any number you'd get for all recipients would be meaningless. Is that making any sense?? I know what I'm thinking but I'm having trouble expressing it, lol.

Years With PM

by SMITTY - 2010-03-14 09:03:08


Hello Marsha,

I'll add a little to what Tracey said. I think the numbers you get would not be much more than just that, numbers. But I can see those numbers as being something that could upset some people, especially those that have recently gotten an ICD.

People that must have defibrillators or pacemaker frequently have other problems that an ICD cannot correct. So while that person may live X number of years they may have lived considerably fewer years without the ICD, or they could have lived just as long.

Another thing you would have to factor in is the age of the person when they got the ICD. The majority of the people getting a defibrillator or pacemaker are well past 50. Another factor is why did the person get the device? From what I have seen the majority of the pacemakers are implanted for bradycardia, or heart rate of less than 60 BPM. Those people are not likely to die even if they do not get a PM, but they may not feel well and in some few cases are prone to passing out because of the low heart rate.

As for the defibrillators, many people get them because they have a one-time episode of ventricular fibrillation and never have another. Admittedly, all it takes is one episode of V-fib to kill a person, but in their case the pacemaker is a safety device that will be called on.

Another thing many may find hard to believe, is there are quite a number of people with an ICD that never needed one in the first place. I'm one of those people. I'm in the 10th year with mine, but have needed it for only two of those years. I was told I needed one and being from the old school where you always believe the doctor I got one because a mew doctor found my heart rate ranged from 55 to 65. I had lived with that HR for more than 40 years and never had a problem, but I thought I was getting the thing for another problem. To my sorrow I really had a problem after I got the PM and in fact had it turned off about two years later. A couple of years later another Dr convinced me that the PM would help so it was turned back on. Then one thing led to another and I now need the PM because of problems created when the problems caused by the PM were corrected. So my 10 years with one would mean nothing to your survey.

My advice to anyone is that unless you are 200% sure the Dr knows what he is talking about, and if it is not an emergency, get a second opinion. I'm in the 10th year with mine, but have needed it for only two of those years.

Smitty

Defib Longevity

by Possum Larry - 2010-03-15 05:03:57

My nephew had one implanted 23 years ago. It has been changed a couple of times and he is doing great.

He was only 22 years old when he had to get the first implant.

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